biroa2024

@@@@@Her hands and fingers moved quickly, sometimes with a flash of the knife, and bloody bits of membrane fell to the floor beside her feetShe poured more dark fluid between Scarlett's lips, then a colorless one into the horrible wound in her bellyHer cracked humming accompanied the small precise movements as she sewed the wound together"Wrap her in linen then in wool while I wash the babe," she saidHer knife slashed through the ropes binding ScarlettFitzpatrick were finished, the woman returned with Scarlett's baby swaddled in a soft white blanket"The midwife forgot this," the coilleach saidHer chuckle brought an answering throaty sound from the baby, and the infant girl opened her eyesThe blue irises looked like pale tinted rings around the black, unfocused pupils She had long black lashes and two tiny lines for eyebrowsShe was not red and misshapen like most newborns because she had not passed through the birth canalHer tiny nose and ears and mouth and soft pulsing skull were perfectHer olive skin was very dark against the white blanketScarlett struggled towards the voices and the light her sedated mind vaguely perceived something important Firm hands held her head, gentle fingers parted her lips, a cooling sweet liquid bathed her tongue, trickled down her throat, and she slept againThe next time she fought for consciousness she remembered what the question was, the vital, the all-important questionWas it dead? Her hands fumbled to her abdomen, and burning pain leapt at her touch Her teeth bruised her lips, her hands pressed harder, fell awayThere was no kicking, no firm rounded lumpiness that was a questing footScarlett uttered a weak cry of misery, no louder than a mew, and the releasing sweet draught poured into her mouth Throughout her drugged sleep slow weak tears seeped from her closed eyesSemiconscious for the third time, she tried to hold on to the darkness, to stay asleep, to push the world awayBut the pain grew, tore at her, made her move to flee it, and the moving gave it such strength that she whimpered helplesslyThe cool glass vial tipped, and she was f